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Montas fires no-hitter for Double-A Birmingham

White Sox No. 2 prospect allows 3 walks in 7 innings to earn first win of the year

By
Alex M. SmithMLB.com

Entering Tuesday's game, Double-A Birmingham pitcher Frankie Montas had been unable to snag a win through his first nine starts of the season. The White Sox's No. 2 prospect (No. 79 overall) had not allowed more than three earned runs in any game, and sported an impressive 2.87 ERA, but luck simply was not on his side.

What would he need to do in order to earn his first victory of the year?

Entering Tuesday's game, Double-A Birmingham pitcher Frankie Montas had been unable to snag a win through his first nine starts of the season. The White Sox's No. 2 prospect (No. 79 overall) had not allowed more than three earned runs in any game, and sported an impressive 2.87 ERA, but luck simply was not on his side.

What would he need to do in order to earn his first victory of the year?

The answer: throw a no-hitter. Montas was spectacular against Tennessee, allowing just three walks in seven shutout innings as he pulled off the first no-no of his professional career. In addition, he struck out three Smokies hitters.

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In 2014, the 22-year-old right-hander came close to history by taking a no-no into the seventh inning of his start for Class A Winstom-Salem. The bid was broken up, but he finished the day with 11 strikeouts against the Salem Red Sox. Boston signed Montas in 2009 and traded him to Chicago in the deal in which Jake Peavy was dealt to the Red Sox and Jose Iglesias landed with the Tigers.

"I have never pitched better than this," Montas told MiLB.com after last year's impressive win. "This is the best one in my career."